News archive (2006 - 09)

Defense Minister Juozas Olekas will be visiting Croatia on Saturday. The Defense Ministry has reported that in Zagreb, Olekas is scheduled to meet with Croatia's Defense Minister Berislav Roncevic, other officials.
During the meetings, the parties are to discuss the countries' involvement in international operations, the cooperation among the Adrian and the Baltic countries, the political and security situation in the Balkan region.

An informal two-day NATO Defence Ministers meeting in Portorož, Slovenia, was closed on the 29th of September. Lithuania was represented by the Minister of National Defence of Lithuania Juozas Olekas. The meeting addressed the operations conducted by the Alliance, NATO Response Forces formation, and the forthcoming meeting of the summits of the Alliance member states arrangement, due to take place by the end of November in Riga.

The traditional meeting of chiefs of Baltic defense staffs will take place in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Friday.
According to the press release, Brigadier General Alar Laneman of Estonia, Brigadier General Juris Kiukucan of Latvia and Brigadier General Vitalijus Vaiksnoras will discuss projects of three-party defense cooperation - Baltic sea squadron BALTRON, Baltic air space observation system BALTNET and the Baltic defense college BALTDEFCOL.

Arranged and headed by the Lithuanian Navy the biggest Minehunters and Minesweepers exercise this year ”Amber Sea 06" will take place in the territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone of Lithuania on September 29 – October 07. The beginning of the exercise is highly important for the Lithuanian Navy: on September 29 Lithuania will officially contribute the Minehunter and Minesweeper ”Kuršis" (M51) to the NATO Mine Countermeasures Force Standing NATO MCM Group 1 as a full member, i.e. a member of NATO Mine Countermeasures Force.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas is attending an informal meeting of NATO defense ministers in the Slovenian city of Portoroz on Thursday and Friday.
The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said that the first working session would focus on today's most important NATO mission in Afghanistan. Participating ministers are expected to state their stances on the current situation and share their thoughts of the future vision. The Alliance's operation in Kosovo and assistance to the African Union's mission in Sudan should also be high on the agenda.

Nearly fifty troops from the Mounted Infantry Brigade ”The Iron Wolf" Headquarters leave for a fortnight trip to the ”Jagged Sword 2006" exercise organized in Germany by Germany-Holland Corps. The troop unit will be transported by ferry from Lithuania across the Baltic Sea to Kiel from where they will continue to the exercise site near Munster.

Spanish Defense Minister Jose Antonio Alonso Suarez is coming to Lithuania on Tuesday with the first visit to the Baltic state.
According to the press release, the meeting between Suarez and Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas will address bilateral cooperation, participation in international operations, NATO's air-policing mission, relations with third countries and other defense policy issues of NATO and the European Union (EU).

Lithuanian Army Commander Major General Valdas Tutkus will read a lecture about transformation of the armed forces amid today's security threats at the Baltic Defense College (BALTDEFCOL) in the Estonian city of Tartu on Tuesday.

Lithuanian all-star boxing team will compete in the World Military Boxing Championship in Varensdorf, Germany. Lithuanian Army will be represented by frequent Lithuanian Championships winners and prizemen: First Lieutenant Jaroslavas Jaksto (weight category over 91kg), Private Vitalijus Subacius (91kg), Private Donatas Bondorovas (75 kg), and Warrant-officer Janas Kacanovskij (69kg). The team is coached by Reserve Major Vitalijus Straleckas the Referee of International Boxing Category Major Rytis Vasiliauskas as the Team Leader.

The exercise Baltic Spirit 2006 will take place at the Klaipeda-based Lithuanian Grand DukeButigeidis Dragoon Training Battalion of the National Defense Volunteer
Force and the battalion's Kairiai training ground on Sept. 17-23.
The exercise will be attended by representatives of Lithuania's National Defense Volunteer Force, Great Britain's Royal Irish Rangers, the US Pennsylvania National Guard and the Danish National Guard - a total of over 650 servicemen. During the exercise, they will perform peacetime operation tasks in an imaginary conflict zone as part of international
forces.